IB History

Syllabus

Welcome to IB History of the Americas.  This two-year course will study a number of topics in-depth.  This is not the teacher’s class.  It is the students’ class and students will often be tasked with guiding where the course goes and what topics are being explored.  Students must be active learners and participants to be successful in this course.

While we will focus on United States History in this class, we will also be focusing on how similar historical themes played out in other nations across time.  The goal is to be able to interpret and analyze the inputs and outputs of historical decision-making to better understand human behavior.  Additionally, this course will encompass all of the Americas, not just the United States, and compare these events to other global regions.

Be aware that this course requires a lot of scholarly level reading.  Rather than depending on a textbook, we will get much of our reading from academic journals along with primary and secondary sources.  Additionally, students will sometimes be responsible for researching and identifying appropriate readings for classroom topics.  The goal of IB History is to pose questions and analyze events as a historian would.  This means students will be challenged to understand the uncertainty inherent in historical understanding and see the thematic similarities across space and time.

This class will also prepare students to take the IB History of the Americas exam.  This will consist of:

1.      Internal assessment (20%): Historical investigation into a topic of the students’ choosing with guidance from the teacher.  This will be no more than 2,200 words.  This will be due in the fall of year 2.

2.      External assessment (80%): 3 “papers” consisting of 4 short answer questions and 5 essays.  You will have 5 hours to complete this.  You will have choices of which essays topics you write about.

Some of the objectives of the course:

1.       Encourage the systematic and critical study of human history.

2.      To promote the understanding of history as a discipline.

3.      To encourage an understanding of the present by reflecting critically on the past.

4.      To understand how historical developments have impacted people at the national, regional, and international levels.

5.      To develop an awareness of the student’s own historical identity by studying the history of different cultures.

6.      To demonstrate knowledge and understanding by recalling historical knowledge and placing it in context, examining the process of cause and effect and continuity and change.  This includes utilizing historical sources and details to construct written essays.

7.      To demonstrate application and interpretation by applying knowledge as evidence, presenting summaries of evidence, and comparing and contrasting historical sources.

8.      To demonstrate synthesis and evaluation through the analysis of different historical interpretations.

9.      Utilize historical skills to structure an essay using evidence as well as balanced and historically focused arguments.

10.  Utilize historical skills to demonstrate evidence of research skills, organization, and referencing.

Topics covered:

This course will combine IB topics and the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for US History.  All GSE topics will be covered at some point during year one of the course and students will take the EOC test on US History during year one.

Our main IB topics are in the chart on the next page.  These topics will be on the external assessment at the end of year two.  The topic column lists:

Paper One-4 source based short answer questions based 

Paper 2- 2 essays on the topics chosen by a class vote

Paper 3- 3 essays on the topics chosen (independence movements and civil/social rights plus one by class vote)

planned units below.  Other topics will be added after the student vote.

Rights and protest:  

US Civil Rights movement 1954-1965:

Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Lyndon Johnson, Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act and more

Apartheid South Africa 1948-1964:

Bantus path from non-violence to violence and imprisonment

Independence movements (1763-1830)

Washington, Bolivar, and San Martin, Monroe Doctrine.  Impact on indigenous groups.

Independence movements:  US v. Mexico (Costilla) v. Peru (Bolivar/San Martin)

Civil Rights and social movements in the Americas post-1945

Indigenous peoples

Tactics of US Civil Rights movement and later violent movements

Feminism, Hispanic American

Youth culture

Compare to similar movements in Mexico (Zapatistas) and South Africa (ANC)

Grading:

Major Grades(essays, tests, projects)-55%- 8

Formative Assessments (homework, classwork, quizzes, graded discussions)-35%- 12-14

Practice (peer reviews, graded discussions, reflection assignments- 10%- 10-15

Tardy Policy

 You are expected to be in your seat when the bell rings to begin class.  

 2nd Tardy—Teacher Consequence and Parent Contact

3rd Tardy—Referral to administrator

 Late Work Policy-

Any work turned in after the due date will have 25% deduction from the grade. After 10 days, the work will no longer be accepted for any credit. If work is turned in after these deadlines due to a student’s absence, students are responsible for writing the dates they were absent for at the top of their submitted work.

Cell Phone Policy:

Cell phones should never be out unless EXPLICITLY allowed by the teacher for an activity.  They can either be put away completely or placed in the pockets by the door.  If the teacher sees a cell phone out, it will be taken and put in the pockets by the door or the teacher desk.

Students leaving class to go to the restroom MUST leave their cell phone in the classroom.

Failure to give the teacher your phone when requested will result in an administrative referral for insubordination.

 Materials

You are required to bring your charged school computer or comparable device (must have OneNote installed) to class on a daily basis.  You are also expected to bring your charger on a daily basis.   We will not distribute textbooks for this class.  The teacher will not be utilizing the textbook, but if you would like it as an extra resource, you may go to the bookroom to get one on your own at the allotted times.   

 Classroom Rules 

1. You are expected to treat everyone in the room with RESPECT.  Do not speak when someone else is speaking.  Unless otherwise instructed, always raise your hand to gain the floor for a question or comment.  You are also expected to be tolerant of other people’s opinions.  You can disagree with a person’s opinion without belittling the person.

2.      You are expected to bring all necessary materials to class on a daily basis. 

3.      You should never have your head on your desk.  Also, the only materials that should ever be on your desk are writing materials and textbooks.  You should never have your book bags or purses on your desk during the class period. 

4.      NO HEADPHONES ARE TO BE WORN IN THE CLASSROOM.

Plagiarism (see AHS Common Syllabus for full statement)

5.       The plagiarism statement will be enforced vigorously.  This includes papers, test essays, review sheets, homework, and copying work for this or other classes.  You are NEVER allowed to work together on an assignment unless explicitly told by the teacher that you may.

 Make-up policy (see AHS Common Syllabus for full policy)

 6.        Your long-term projects are due on the date assigned, even if you are absent.  Feel free to e-mail any assignments to smiley@fultonschools.org. Late major grades will be penalized by a letter grade (10%) loss for each day late.  Computer problems, sickness or any other reasons for failing to complete the assignment on time will not be accepted.  No project will be assigned the day before it is due.  Please finish the project before the due date to avoid any last second issues. 

7.  AHS RECOVERY/RISE (RE-TEACHING/INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND ENRICHMENT POLICY)

Students with a course cumulative average of a 74 and below must attend RISE sessions to demonstrate a legitimate effort to meet all course requirements. After attending RISE sessions, attending class regularly, and completing all unit course work*, a student is eligible to request recovery on major assessments, which he or she may score up to 74%. The recovery grade will replace the previous grade but will not exceed 74%.  Social Studies RISE is on Thursday before or after school. RISE sessions will be made up of reteaching activities and test corrections. 

     *All unit work must be completed in order to exhibit mastery. Any credit given will be awarded in accordance with the stated course late work policy in the teacher’s syllabus.

     The recovery process must be initiated by the student within five days of the student receiving the graded assignment and the grade being posted to Home Access Center (HAC). Furthermore, all Recovery opportunities expire ten days before the end of each semester.

Summary of Recovery

1-      Student must ask teacher verbally and fill out Recovery form paperwork.

2-      Student has 5 days after the grade was received.

3-      Recovery can take place during RISE or a scheduled time outside of class.

4-      Must be completed for a recovery grade 10 days after notification of grade.

5-      Only major assessments (tests) can be recovered. 

7.    Late homework grades will receive half credit.  To receive any credit, the assignment must be turned in either before the end of the unit or within 2 days the assigned due date, whichever is greater.  Following an absence, it is the student’s responsibility to contact his/her teachers to arrange for make-up work.  The contact must be made within one school day of returning.  If the teacher is absent, contact should be made upon the first day of the teacher’s return. 

Extra help/RISE (see AHS Common Syllabus for full policy)

 8.       I will make myself available, whenever possible, before and after school if you ever need extra help or have questions.   I am available for RISE or other help any morning before school, and 4A lunch on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Please feel free to come to me for help; I am here to help you succeed.  

 9.   If you ever have any problems with homework, printing or other class related issues, you can e-mail questions to me at smiley@fultonschools.org . 

ALPHARETTA HIGH SCHOOL